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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29065197">There Will Come A Ruler</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Molo_23/pseuds/Molo_23'>Molo_23</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, M/M, Sonic and the Black Knight</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:02:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,080</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29065197</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Molo_23/pseuds/Molo_23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sonic's finding his new role as King of Avalon a bit overwhelming.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog/Lancelot (Sonic and the Black Knight)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Meeting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A knight falling in love with his monarch? It was undignified. Improper. Such notions had never been heard of before. And yet, as Lancelot waited patiently outside of the King’s living quarters, anticipating his majesty’s return, those preconceived rules of society in his mind were replaced with an ardent admiration and affection. Sonic had only been in charge for a few months, and hadn’t even been officially crowned yet, but he carried such a gentle and loving nature about him that the castle staff, and his knights all adored him and were all more than ready to officially announce him as their king. </p><p>The blue hedgehog, however, grew more uncertain about his newly assigned position with each passing day. How could a being from a distant world just suddenly be the monarch of one that isn’t his own? Sonic missed his friends, and worried that time crept on without him back at home. <em> Home </em>. He still thought of that world as home, and not Camelot, not Avalon… Not this castle. All he wanted was to either be taken from this new role as a King, and sent back, or forget entirely about his past life. </p><p>The guilt and worry plagued the cobalt-blue hedgehog as he got dressed for a meeting with the kingdom’s trade leaders, to discuss his new role. He scrunched his nose at his reflection in the mirror, once he was done. It was bad enough having to dress in those weird, puffy-sleeved shirts, but to wear them in front of important people? Sonic was sure he’d die of embarrassment.</p><p>A few slivers of the anxiety melted away once he left his bedroom and spotted Lancelot leaning against a pillar near the entrance to his chamber. His resemblance to an old friend gave Sonic some comfort. </p><p>“Good morning, Sire.” </p><p>And with that, Sonic was a bumbling mess again. Even if Lancelot did share similarities with Shadow, their manner and behaviour varied greatly. Lancelot was extremely polite and attentive, a contrast to Shadow’s blunt and almost rude demeanor. Something about the gentleman-like manner Lancelot possessed never failed to make Sonic smitten. </p><p>“Hey, Lance.” Sonic replied, swallowing his nerves as the two made their way down the hall. </p><p>The knight knew the castle better than Sonic, even if he’d been living there for almost four months. Every wall and corridor looked similar, and Sonic would find himself occasionally roaming around aimlessly. So the knight led the way, Sonic trailing behind ever so slightly. Sometimes, the King would hurry ahead a bit, when he recognised a corridor or doorway, and during those moments, Lancelot noticed Sonic’s uneasiness. He wondered if taking his King’s hand would be appropriate. But before he could make a gesture of that sort, Sonic cleared his throat and brought his hands up to fiddle with the gold ring that clasped both ends of his cape around his shoulders. Lancelot winced at the missed opportunity but quickly moved past it. </p><p>The two continued down the hallways, their feet made small indents in the soft rugs that lined the floors, and their path was illuminated by the golden light of the morning shining through the magnificent, stained-glass windows. Mornings like these were one of the things Sonic would’ve been sad to let go: the slight piney smell of the wooden furniture strewn along the path; the distant clatter of the servants’ chambers and the grand kitchen; and of course, the clinking noises from his companion’s armour, a sound so lovely, it reminded Sonic of wind chimes.</p><p>Silently, Sonic took deep breaths, savouring the tranquil seconds he got to spend with his knight and only him. The action quelled his nerves significantly, and by the time the two hedgehogs arrived at a grand, wooden door, Sonic gave Lancelot a cheerful smile. The smile’s recipient blushed slightly, and he was thankful for the visor covering his face. </p><p>...</p><p>It was a very large room behind the door, but it felt smaller than it was due to the presence of a large war table in the centre. Said table was a circle, with a hole in the middle, making it appear as if one straight table had been bent into a new shape. People of all shapes and sizes sat on the important-looking chairs: warlords, leaders, lords, ladies. In short: people who Sonic most definitely did <em> not </em> want to get on the wrong foot with. </p><p>Lancelot gestured for Sonic to take the grandest seat, a chair with a large backboard with intricate carvings, and a red velvet seat. Once the King was seated, the rest of the room rose, and bowed in his direction. Sonic flinched at the motion, but decided not to voice his agitation.</p><p>“It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Your Highness.” said a large bear, who appeared to be a lord from a Northern territory, due to his build and clothing better suited for harsh weather. Sonic smiled and bowed his head, respectfully. “We are all here today to enlighten you about your position as the ruler of this kingdom, and what it entails.” </p><p>As the meeting went on, Lancelot, from the view of his seat against the back wall, noticed Sonic’s growing uncertainty and discomfort. He desperately wanted to leap up and rescue the king, but doing so would get them both in trouble. The dark hedgehog passed a glance at his fellow knights. Sir Percival was on his right, tapping her gauntleted fingers on her knee, and Sir Gawain to his left, who was sat up so straight that Lancelot wondered if his back would snap from the pressure. Lancelot moved his head back to look at Sonic. The blue hedgehog looked like he had a million questions. His fists tensed as Sonic’s attempt to make a statement was shut down by more confusing explanations.  </p><p>“Be still,” the armoured cat to his right whispered, gently. “He will be fine.” </p><p>“He’s uncomfortable.” Lancelot hissed back. </p><p>“That’s a vast understatement,” Percival chuckled sadly. “But there is nothing we can do, he must endure it for a little while longer.” Her amber eyes glinted behind the slits in her visor, giving Lancelot a small amount of reassurance. </p><p>The knights watched with bated breath as the meeting reached its conclusion. Sonic looked ready to completely collapse from information overload, but finally, after about an hour, the people around the table fell quiet. Clearing his throat, Sonic stood up. </p><p>“Thanks for coming, all of you. It was a great honour to see you all, and to receive such… wise advice.” he said, lips quivering slightly after the small crack in his voice. To his, and Lancelot's relief, the entire room seemed pleased, and one by one, they made their way out. After the room cleared, and the air was no longer heavy with nerves, Sonic untensed his muscles and shuffled over to where his knights were standing. </p><p>“Well done, Your Majesty.” Percival smiled, shaking Sonic’s hand. The blue hedgehog smiled back in return, and laughed. </p><p>“Oh man, that was a doozy. I’ve faced way worse stuff than that and yet-” </p><p>“Don’t sell yourself short,” Lancelot chimed in. “All those times you were allowed to be yourself.” </p><p>“True there, I didn’t have to wear a puffy shirt and cape while fighting evil robots!” The quartet all laughed softly. Sonic exhaled and stretched his arms up over his head. “At least that’ll be the last time I get fed nonsense for hours.” </p><p>“Perhaps,” Gawain added. “But you still must learn all that has been said here today.” Sonic’s gaze dropped slightly at the word ‘must’. Must he really? He didn’t feel like he belonged here, let alone deserved to be the ruler of wherever ‘here’ was. Lancelot perked up and placed a hand on his shoulder. </p><p>“But I know that will be a simple task for you, Sire.” </p><p>Sonic smiled at him and sighed. “Yeah, nothing I can’t handle.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Doubts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>As the meeting came to a close, many of the attendants stayed afterwards to mingle in the courtyard, despite the to-be-king’s absence, he’d encouraged the others to stay as long as they pleased until sundown. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, one lord in particular went straight home after the event. He was a tall, slim hyena, with light grey fur and pale orange stripes; the Baron. He was a unique lord, he had close relation to the previous King Arthur, and had been told that if no heir was able to take the throne, then rulership would be passed to his line. The hyena was more than ecstatic to be in such a high position as that, but now that an heir had been discovered, quite suddenly his reputation and status were threatened.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The journey back from the castle in Camelot was an unpleasant one, as doubts about the future plagued his mind. Soon, he returned to his large estate in the West: a large dark house made of sturdy brick, covered mostly in moss and vines that held a tight grip on the building, claiming it as part of the earth.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s an absolute disgrace!” The Baron huffed, as he stomped into his manor. His wife, who was standing at the entrance to greet him, tutted her tongue and took his coat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Surely he’s not that atrocious. You have high standards, dear.” she soothed. Her husband smiled back, his eyes narrowed into a sly glance. They moved through the manor to the lounge, where the lord’s twin sisters were playing a game of cards. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did it go, Stephen?” one of them called, not looking away from her deck. Said hyena slumped down into his favourite, quilted armchair and sighed. Stephen went on a long rant about how he found the young king’s demeanour “casual” and “inexperienced.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He should’ve been at least taught before being assigned his role as this kingdom’s ruler.” The three female hyenas chuckled in sympathy, and the sisters ended their game to sit with their brother and his wife, as he continued to spill his thoughts on the blue hedgehog. Stephen’s words came out in long stretches, his sentences and thoughts all strung together by a thread of disgust and jealousy.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He sounds delightful,” one sister muttered sarcastically after Stephen had finished venting. “No prior training, no connections, he’s not even from this realm?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It should’ve been our line to inherit the throne. We are the closest to the previous king.” the other added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Lord nodded and sighed again. Then something snapped in his mind. No, it was too devious, surely he didn’t just think that? He licked his lips before parting them. The sinful suggestion that passed out of his throat and mouth caused his family’s eyes to widen in shock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-overthrow?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not as dramatic as that,” Stephen stammered, immediately regretting his choice of words. “Just a little… nudge.” His wife glanced at him, an indifferent expression on her muzzle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nudge? Meaning…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hyena lord’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Would be a shame if the King’s food was a little undercooked, or something like that, don’t you think?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Poison the King?” Stephen’s wife whispered. “You can’t be serious.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The twins glanced at each other, before the same devious glint made itself known in their eyes as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He isn’t a King. Not now, nor will he ever be.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sonic slammed his fist on the desk in frustration, and let out a long groan. It was surprising; he’d always loved to read, relaxing under a tree with a book in summer was one of his favourite activities, but right now? If he never saw that book ever again, it would be too soon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the words on the page blurred into one smudged mess, for the third time in a row, Sonic closed the book and ran his hands over his face. This ‘running the kingdom’ business was harder than it looked, and it already looked like a mammoth task. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have mercy on the desk, Your Highness.” Percival piped up from across the study. She was sitting elegantly in an armchair, with a book of her own. Sonic was grateful for her silent company, at least he wasn’t dying of boredom on his own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This desk will face justice if it’s the last thing I do!” he joked back, getting up from his chair and sulking over to his knight. “Whatever you’re reading must be way more engaging.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lavender-hued cat chuckled and flipped the book over so the king could read its title. Sonic winced at the long, boring name of the book and grumbled as Percival took more amusement from his expression. He planted his head on her shoulder in defeat, and she gracefully petted his ear with one hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come now, how about I explain the basics of that book to you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Took ya long enough!” Sonic sped over to his desk, pulling Percival with him, and pointed to the page he was stuck on. “I can’t wrap my head around this stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cultural differences between the East and the West?” the knight read aloud. She took the book from him and skimmed the page, her eyes easily dancing from line to line with minimal difficulty. Sonic pouted at the show of ease from his guard. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once she was done refreshing her own memory, Percival placed the book down and beckoned for her king-to-be to join her on the balcony that oversaw the castle courtyard. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s not many things to learn about it, it all comes down to how people treat each other, really.” the cat began, her voice much more comforting and interesting than some dusty old book. “Over here, in the East, the class system is more definite and the people of each remain mostly segregated. It’s unfortunate, but as King, I’m sure you’ll be willing to take care of the lower classes?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sonic nodded, his brow furrowed in concentration. “I wouldn’t want anyone living in poverty, let alone an entire ‘class’ of people.” The cat’s white muzzle shifted into a smile. Percival felt a warmth inside her whenever Sonic talked about his plans for the kingdom. He was so kind, and selfless, everyone meant more to him than his own wellbeing. Sometimes she worried that would be his downfall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Over in the West, there isn’t much difference between the wages, most citizens in that region are farmers, and they trade with other peoples from other places in the kingdom. But they do rely on a lot of unpaid labour from the lowest class during the farming.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Percival explained more and more, Sonic felt the agitation ease out of him, and he learnt more about the land than he ever had from paper and ink. The blue hedgehog smiled at his knight as she finished her explanation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hope that helps, My Lord.” she said, her voice remaining as silky and delicate even after talking for longer than Sonic had ever heard. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More than you can imagine! Thanks so much, Blaze.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took Percival’s confused expression to make Sonic realise who he’d addressed. Not the knight, but the fire-wielding feline from yet another universe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“S-sorry, Percival, I didn’t mean-” he rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort as he blurted out an apology. The cat shook her head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No need to apologize, Your Highness. I am aware you still recall your previous life.” she said gently, so as not to startle Sonic with more memories of his original world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, yeah, I do… more than I’d like to at this point.” Sonic’s shoulders slumped and he looked out over the rolling hills and blankets of forest that stretched out for miles past the castle grounds. “If I’m supposed to rule this place, what’s the point of remembering? It’s just gonna cause more pain.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percival placed a gauntleted hand in Sonic’s, and brought it up so that they’d meet eyes. “Don’t ever be sorry for remembering. That world made you who you are, and without it we wouldn’t have you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure there isn’t another me somewhere in this world?” Sonic asked, his joking tone barely disguising the lingering hope in the suggestion. To his subtle dismay, Percival shook her head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If there was, I’m sure he’d already be King. I know you miss them, and the thought of being unaware of what is happening in your homeworld must be troubling, but,” the cat hesitantly pulled the slightly smaller hedgehog into a warm embrace. “I hope this place can be a welcome home for you, Sire.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fighting back tears, Sonic chuckled and returned the hug. He thanked Percival as she left his study with a wave, and leant back on the balcony’s railing. The feline knight’s words hadn’t truly sunk in yet, but as he replayed them in his head, he started to feel guilty for missing his home when everyone here was being so kind to him. Sonic muttered undecipherable phrases under his breath, and tried to put words to his feelings. Why couldn’t he just </span>
  <em>
    <span>be happy </span>
  </em>
  <span>here? All the people were just copies of his friends in fancy clothing, right? Blue quills ruffled as Sonic shook that thought out of his head. He knew his friends were irreplaceable, even by otherworldly counterparts, and that was what made him feel the loneliest. These people just </span>
  <em>
    <span>looked</span>
  </em>
  <span> like his companions, but he knew they were different at heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lancelot was the best example of this. His outward appearance was almost identical to Shadow’s, aside from the armour, and small scar on the left of his chest (which Sonic was embarrassed to admit he’d taken multiple glances at.)  But inside, Lancelot was a lot more polite, quiet and even shy. The differences would’ve been subtle for anyone else, but for the blue hedgehog, who’d spent a lot of his time back on his home world admiring Shadow from afar, pining after the black and red hedgehog, it was so obvious that it was almost like a slap across the face whenever he spoke with Lance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he felt himself tearing up from his tempest of thoughts raging inside his head, Sonic decided to sneak out for a run. His schedule was so tight he’d barely been able to walk around the grounds, let alone explore the world. He eased himself up onto the ledge of the balcony, letting his legs slowly drop through the air, toward the strong brick of another raised roof.   </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once his body hit the roof, Sonic began his careful climb down and out, unbeknownst to him, under the watch of gentle crimson eyes. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>sorry this took so long! i'm back in the swing of writing for it but there's not really a schedule planned for this series, so you'll have to bear with me<br/>i'm a sucker for making up oc villains, but more familiar ones may start to appear soon! </p><p>thought i'd throw in some hinted sonaze, i like to think percival is like a big sister to sonic in this universe, but if it's romance you prefer, here's some fan service haha </p><p>thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed this chapter!<br/>(follow my twitter @MoloStyle23 for more sonic content - mainly fanart)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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